The hit television series Portrait Artist Of The Year on Sky Arts channel has caught the attention of many young artists and enthusiasts. Here, timed portraits with diverse artistic styles are judged, producing one winner each episode. Uniquely, each episode’s winner will compete with one another for the coveted PAOTY title and a lot of cash. Season 12 was aired on October 14, 2020 and ended on December 16, 2020 with Curtis Holder being the Portrait Artist of the Year.
Although this show does promote competition within the field of art, the artists go beyond the goal of impressing the judges. They take the opportunity to instead display their own creative style and push themselves within a tight time-frame. The judging criteria is staying true to a unique creative style while also effectively capturing the likeness of the muse.
Competing in an art competition such as this one is harder than it looks. Viewers don’t understand the pressure of eyes watching them and cameras all in their face as they draw or paint their portraits. In the end, it’s the personality of each piece that shines.
Article by Amanda Catipon of Northwest High School
Photo Courtesy of The Sky Arts Channel